The NBA All-Star Game is rapidly approaching, and we’ll get some resolution today – at least on the first five from each conference.
The league will announce the starters for the Eastern and Western conferences Monday, Jan. 19 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, during the pre-game show ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder-Cleveland Cavaliers game.
The NBA has released data from two returns of fan vote totals, giving a hint about who’s likely to earn the honor. So Luka Dončić of the Los Angeles Lakers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks appear to be safe bets, as they were the only two players to clear at least 2 million fan votes in numbers that dropped Jan. 6.
Here’s everything you need to know about the selection of the 2026 NBA All-Stars and our picks for who will start and who should start:
How are NBA All-Stars selected?
There are 24 All-Stars, with 12 per conference. Players are selected without regard for position.
The 10 starters (five per conference) are selected through three tranches: fan votes (50%), current NBA player votes (25%) and a media panel (25%).
Then, on Feb. 1, the 14 reserves (seven per conference) will be announced, and those players will be selected by NBA head coaches. There is one wrinkle this year, however.
Because the league is using a USA versus the world format in which three, 8-player teams will compete in a round-robin tournament, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will intervene and appoint additional All-Stars so that there are enough players to reach the quota of at least 16 U.S.-born players and eight international players. If necessary, the international players can include American players with ties to other countries.
NBA All-Star starters: Who should start?
As one of the media members selected to participate, here’s the ballot I submitted to the online system managed by Ernst & Young:
Eastern Conference
- Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
- Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
- Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
- Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Western Conference
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
- Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
- Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
NBA All-Star starters predictions: Who will likely start?
Based on the most recent return of fan voting released by the NBA, here’s an educated guess at the likely starters announced Monday afternoon:
Eastern Conference
- Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
- Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
- Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
- Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Western Conference
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
- Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
- Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets
When is the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?
The game is set for Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. ET from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
